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Posted on Tue, Dec 11, 2012 : 11:11 a.m.

Kugel latkes combine two Chanukkah favorites

By Mary Bilyeu

Mary Bilyeu, Contributor

In addition to eating fried foods at Chanukkah, to commemorate the miracle of one day's worth of consecrated oil burning for a full eight days, there is a lesser-known tradition of eating dairy foods.

Well, then, what better way to celebrate than to fry up some dairy products?

Kugel (a sweet noodle pudding) and latkes (potato pancakes) are two of the great traditional Jewish foods, and among my own personal favorites. And it occurred to me: if everyone loves the crunchy topping that comes from baking the kugel, why not maximize that by frying the mixture rather than cooking it in the oven? Transform the kugel from a casserole into little pancakes!

And so, Kugel Latkes were born one afternoon. Crispy, sweet, creamy with pockets of cottage cheese, fragrant with hints of cinnamon... I have to pat my own back for this little creation. They are so, so good! No redeeming nutritional value, of course; but then, Chanukkah has never been about health food. It's just about fun food.

If you'd like to try other celebratory foods during Chanukkah, which began this past Saturday evening and ends on Sunday, here are some options:

Place oil into a large skillet to 1/4-inch depth; heat over medium-high heat.

Drop batter by 1/4-cupfuls into oil; fry 3 minutes or so per side, until golden brown, turning carefully. Remove to drain on a brown paper bag (the latkes tend to stick to paper towels). Continue until batter is used up.

Makes 1 dozen latkes.

Mary Bilyeu writes for AnnArbor.com on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, telling about her adventures in the kitchen - making dinner, celebrating holidays, entering cooking contests, meeting new friends ... whatever strikes her fancy. She is also on a mission to find great deals for her Frugal Floozie Friday posts, seeking fabulous food at restaurants on the limited budget of only $5 per person. Feel free to email her with questions, comments, or suggestions: yentamary@gmail.com.

The phrase "You Should Only Be Happy" (written in Hebrew on the stone pictured in this post) comes from Deuteronomy 16:15 and is a wish for all her readers - when you come to visit here, may you always be happy.

Comments

jns131

Wed, Dec 12, 2012 : 3:03 p.m.

When I saw the heading I thought OMG, potatoes and noodles combined? O my. What a load of carbs. Sorry but have to watch the carbs. But this looks awesome. Need a dinner idea for Thursday too. Yum. Thanks for the recipe.

jns131

Fri, Dec 14, 2012 : 3:55 a.m.

The Amish make great homemade noodles (hint) if you ever want to try them in noodle kugles.

Mary Bilyeu

Wed, Dec 12, 2012 : 5:35 p.m.

It's traditional in Amish communities to serve a beef and noodle dish over mashed potatoes ... oy! A LOT of carbs! No spuds here, though ... :)

jns131

Wed, Dec 12, 2012 : 3:10 p.m.

After thought, need to replace the almonds, even though they sound yummy with apricots. Daughter does not like nuts. But Solo is a great brand all round.

bluetonguedlizard

Tue, Dec 11, 2012 : 11:06 p.m.

Oh my gosh, will totally be trying these!

Mary Bilyeu

Tue, Dec 11, 2012 : 11:29 p.m.

Let me know how you like them ... :)

Ben Freed

Tue, Dec 11, 2012 : 5:01 p.m.

This. Is. Awesome. Can't wait to try making these! And by try making these I mean convince my mom to try making these!

Mary Bilyeu

Tue, Dec 11, 2012 : 5:26 p.m.

You could make them for your mom! Be sure to say &quot;hi&quot; to her for me, whether you do the cooking or she does ... :)